Curtain-fixture



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T.. lall-ifolKI-rs.VV GURTAIN FIXTURE.

Patented June 6,1882.

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v T. P. HOPKINS.

CURTAIN FIXTURE. f l No. 259, 156. Y Patented June 6. 1882. A

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRUMAN P. HOPKINS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.Y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,156, dated June 6, 1882.

Applicatitn filed May 3, 1881. (No model.) 0

To all whom tt may concern.'

Be it known that I, TRUMAN PaEsooTT vHOPKINS, of Milwaukee, in .the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in curtain-fixture, all as more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved curtain-fixture. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion thereof on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 is a similar view of the whole, also on an enlarged scale.

A represents a plate or surface of wood ,into which the ends of the brackets B B' are securely driven. In practice I usually omit this plate and drive the said brackets directly into the upper part of the window-frame; but I may use a plate if more convenient.

C is the top slat of the shade, to which the shade D is secured in the usual manner, its lower end being secured around the roller E also, as usual. Each bracket is provided in its bent outer end with an eye, b and b', respectively, and is perforated with three holes, c, o',and c2, through which the cords F F' and II' pass, their outer ends terminating in the tassels G and G'. TheV inner ends of the cords F and F' are secured'atf and j",respectively,to the upper ends of the slat C, while the inner ends of the cords I and I' are secured to the ends of the roller E, all as set forth more fully hereinafter.

The operation of my device is extremely simple, but very effective. Forinstance, supposing that the shade is in the position shown in Fig. 1. Should it be desired to lower the shade from the top without disturbing the position of the roller E, it is only necessary to gently ease up onthe left-hand tassel, G, the lengthening of the cord occasioned .by the operation serving to revolve the roller E, (without otherwise changing its positiom) and thus keeping the O by pulling or easing up on the right-hand tassel,'G', at will. The whole shade may be raised or lowered without disturbing the rela# tive positions of the slat and roller (previously adjusted to expose anylength of shade desired) by gently pulling on or easing both tassels siand F', are carried up through the eyev b of bracket B, and the cord F is carried along the outside of said bracketand through its farthermost perforation, c, and thence brought down" and secured to the upper left-hand corner'of the slatG at f. The other cord,F' ,is carried inlike manner through the eye b and along the outside of the bracket B, through the middle perforation, c', and across to the other bracket, B', through the perforation c in that bracket, and down to the slat C, being secured to its upper right-hand corner at f'. Thus the two cords F and F' from the left-hand tassel, G, operate the shade from the top thereof, as described. The two cords I and I' from the right-hand tassel, G', are carried in like manner through Vthe eye b' of the bracket B and along its outer side, the cord I passing' through the middle perforation, c', of said bracket B', and then across tothe bracket B, and through the iirst perforation, c2, therein, and then down and around the shank 7L of the button H, at which point it is secured to the left-hand end of the roller E. The cord I', after passing through the eye b' of bracket B', along the outside of said bracket, and through its first perforation, 02is brought down and wound around the shank h' of the button H', and there secured to the righthand end of the roller E,so that the two cords I and I' from the right-hand tassel, G', serve to operate the shade from the bottom, as hereinbefore set forth.

The tassels are weighted in order to serve as counter-balances to the weight of the shade and assist in keeping the latter in any position to which it may be adjusted.

The roller E is provided at each end with buttons H H', around the shanks h h' of which the ends of the cords are wound once or twice IOO before being secured to the said rollers, where they are driven in by the said shanks or otherwise fastened. Should the roller at any time hangunevenly,itisonly necessary to Wind or un- Wind the cord once or twice on the said shank h or h in order to instantly remedy this defect.

My improved curtain-xture is simple in construction and not liable to get out of order, as is the case where springs are employed to assist in raising or lowering the shade, and as shown, can at any time be rendered true and even in its operation, Where it has sagged out of position, byvinding or unwinding one or more loops of the cord around the shank of one of the buttons, even when it has been unevenly or inartistieally adjusted to the window-frame.

The effective operation of this device is not dependent entirely upon the exact counterbalaneing of the shade and weighted tassels; but it will work equally Well even though there is adisproportion of weight between them by reason of the brackets B and B being constructed with their outer ends (which form the eyes b and b) bent at an angle to the main portion of the said brackets, whereby the cords, after passing through the perforations in the shanks of the brackets, turn at almost a right angle, so that a very light weight at the ends of the said cords will cause them to impinge against the edges of the said eyes, and by this frietional contact aid in supporting the shade at any height desired.

I am aware that I am not the first to have arranged cords for supporting a curtain in adjustment in perforated brackets, so that the friction of the cords in the perforations, aided by the weight of the tassels at the ends of the cords, afforded sufcient resistance to support the Weight of the curtain and secure the curtain when adjusted either from top or bottom, as such construction may be found in thc patents of Cornell, dated August l, 1876, and January l, 1878, respectively, and such I do not claim broadly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In acurtain-xture, the brackets B B', having bent outer ends provided with eyes b b', and each bracket havin g three smaller perforations, c, c', and c2, formed therein, as set forth.

2. In a curtain-ixture, the combination of the brackets B B', each having bent ends, with eyes b and b respectively formed therein, and

three smaller perforations, c, c', and c2, with the f described system of cords F F and I l', the tassels G G,and a window-shade formed with top slat and bottom roller and buttons, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of February, 1881.

TRUMAN P. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

S. S. SToUT, MARTIN J. REILLY. 

